• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.18-25
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• 1987

The cellulolytic activities of Aspergillus fumigatus KC-1 was investigated, which showed the most active producer of cellulase among the 256 strains of cellulose-decomposing microorganisms screened in our laboratory. All the examined cellulolytic activities (filter paper-, Avicel-, cotton-, CMC-, salicin- and xylansaccharifying activity) in a culture of A. fumigatus KC-1 grown on 1% popular sawdust pretreated with peroxide alkaline reached a maximum within 4-5 days. The optimum pH and temperature for the enzymatic activity was found to be pH 4.5 and $60^{\circ}C$ respectively. The sawdust of poplar wood delignified with 1% NaOH and 20% peracetic acid succesively recorded the highest hydrolysis rate in the tests of enzymatic saccharification. The major end product of hydrolysis of poplar wood with the cellulolytic enzymes obtained from A. fumigatus KC-1 was glucose with small amount of cellobiose and xylose. It can be concluded from these results that A. fumigatus KC-1 is an advantagous source of a cellulase that is capable of hydrolyzing cellulose to glucose rapidly. The influence of degree of delignification, substrate size and its concentration on the rate of hydrolysis of poplar wood was also discussed.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.489-494
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• 2009

Two-step pretreatment process was investigated to efficiently hydrolyzed rape stems for obtaining fermentable sugars. The process was consisted of two consecutive steps as $200^{\circ}C$ and 15 MPa and $374^{\circ}C$ and 24 MPa with the flow rate of 5 mL/min. Under this condition, 5.5 (g/L) of glucose and 25.6 (g/L) of xylose were obtained from rape stems, showing 18% of glucose yield based on 25% cellulose in the rape stems. It was also found that this process could generate less amounts of toxic residues, such as HMF (Hydroxy- Methyl-Furfural) and other fulfural components during hydrolysis process. It could reaction maintain relatively high ethanol production yield as 90% of theoretical conversion yield from glucose. Therefore, this pretreatment process could be applied to hydrolyze other cellulosic and marine resources such as woods, stem and algae for bioethanol production.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.123-126
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• 2003

Advanced glycation end products(AGEs) are largly involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. It is obvious that inhibition of AGEs formation is important in preventing the occurrence and progression of diabetic complications. Therefore, to seek possible AGEs inhibitors in herbal medicines, unprocessed - und processed Puerariae Radix were tested. The inhibitory effect on AGEs formation was slightly increased through processing. Unprocessed-, processed Puerariae Radix and puerarin showed potential inhibitory action than that of positive control, amino guanidine HCI.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.37 no.1 s.144
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• pp.48-52
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• 2006

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are largely involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. As part of our ongoing project directed toward the discovery of preventive and/or delay agents for diabetic complications from natural sources, 92 Korean traditional herbal medicines have been investigated with an in vitro evaluation system using AGEs inhibitory activity. Of these, 17 herbal medicines exhibited a significant inhibitory activity against AGEs formation. Particularly, 9 herbal medicines, i.e., Cinnamomi Cortex, Artemisiae Argyi Herba, Ammoni Tsao-ko Fructus, Menthae Herba, Amomi Semen, Polygoni Avicularis Herba, Lycopi Herba, Salviae Radix, and Nelumbinis Semen showed more potent inhibitory activity (2-4 fold) than the positive control aminoguanidine.

• Journal of Korea Foresty Energy
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.39-46
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• 2005

In this study, the possibility of sugar conversion of poplar wood(Populus $alba{\times}rglandulosa$) and their degradation features of major wood components were characterized using flow type supercritical water treatment system. The finely ground poplar wood meals were treated for 2min. under subcritical condition$(23MPa,\;275^{\circ}C\;and\;325^{\circ}C)$ and supercritical condition $(23MPa,\;375^{\circ}C\;and\;415^{\circ}C)$. respectively. The degradation products of poplar wood meals appeared brownish colors, including undegraded solids. Increasing the temperature of the system, the degradation rate of poplar wood meals was accelerated and reached up to $94\%\;at\;375^{\circ}C$. The total amount of reducing sugars in degradation products determined by DNS method were gradually lowered when the temperature condition became severe. This indicated that the reducing sugars formed were further degraded to kan derivatives by certain side reaction such as pyrolysis under higher temperature. In order to characterize degradation features of lignin, the degradation products were extracted with ethylacetate and the organic phases were subjected to GC-MS analysis. Main lignin degradation products were identified to vanillin, guaiacol, syrinaldehyde, 4-prophenyl syringol and dihydrosinapyl alcohol, which could be formed by the cleavage of ether linkages in lignin polymers by high temperature condition.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.759-764
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• 2017

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are valuable therapeutic targets for the regulation of diabetic complications. Activity-guided isolation of the ethylacetate (EtOAc)-soluble portion of 70% ethanolic extract from aerial parts of Ainsliaea acerifolia was performed, followed by AGE formation inhibition assay for the characterization of four dicaffeoylquinic acid derivatives of a previously known structure, methyl 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl-epi-quinate (1), 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl-epi-quinic acid (2), 4,5-di-O-caffeoyl-quinic acid (3), and methyl 4,5-di-O-caffeoyl-quinate (4). The structures of these compounds were confirmed by interpretation of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR, $^1H-$, $^{13}C-NMR$, two-dimensional NMR) and mass spectroscopic data. Among the isolates, the major secondary metabolites, 3,5-di-O-caffeoyl-epi-quinic acid (2) and 4,5-di-O-caffeoyl-quinic acid (3) showed the most potent inhibitory effects against AGE formation with $IC_{50}$ values of $0.6{\pm}0.1{\mu}M$ and $0.4{\pm}0.1{\mu}M$, respectively. Furthermore, all isolated dicaffeoylquinic acid derivatives were evaluated for their radical scavenging activities using 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical, and compound 3 exhibited the most potent inhibitory effect in a concentration-dependent manner. This result suggests that the caffeoylquinic acid dimers isolated from A. acerifolia might be beneficial for the prevention of diabetic complications and related diseases.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 2012

Coumestrol is one of phytoalexins synthesized in response to environmental stress, and commonly found in natural foods such as alfalfa sprouts, clovers, and soybean. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism underlying protective effect of coumestrol against UVB-induced photoaging in human dermal fibroblasts. We found that pretreatment with coumestrol enhanced the UVB-suppressed mitochondrial biogenesis through regulation of Sirt1 expression and activity, and its downstream gene regulation such as PGC-$1{\alpha}$, NRF1, and TFAM. Moreover, the ATP and ROS production was restored to normal status and the formation of advanced glycation endproducts leading to skin photoaging in skin fibroblasts was blocked by coumestrol pretreatment before UVB irradiation. These findings indicate that coumestrol might potentially prevent skin photoaging induced by mitochondrial damage and glycated protein production in dermal fibroblasts.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.213-218
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• 1988

Studies were made to optimize the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of rice straw to produce butanol using Clostridium acetobutylicum KCTC 1037 and a cellulolytic enzyme preparation from Trichoderma viride. The fermentation was inhibited when the liquid enzyme preparation from Novo was used, whilst a successful fermentation was achieved in the SSF using the enzyme manufactured by Pacific Chemical Co. The minimum cellulase concentration for the successful fermentation of pure cellulose was found to be 4 IU/g of substrate used. Alkaline treatment was better method for the fermentation of rice straw by the system. SSF using 25％ alkaline treated rice straw produced 150 mM butanol, 90 mM acetone. On the other hand, fermentation of ball milled rice straw was mainly acidogenic producing 98 mM acetate and 64 mM butyrate with less than 20 mM butanol. These results show that rice straw contains (a) specific inhibitor(s) for solventogenesis which is destroyed or soluble in alkali.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.132-140
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• 2017

Nuruk, a traditional Korean alcoholic beverage starter, was evaluated as an additional saccharifying agent comprising up to 1.5% (w/w) of malt weight in ale-type beer processing. Sample characteristics were monitored during fermentation, ripening, and storage. Beer containing nuruk showed higher numbers of total viable bacteria and yeast cell counts. Additionally, ethanol (6.19-6.35%), color (Standard Reference Method), foam stability ($228.49-368.24{Sigma}$), saccharogenic power (307-417), and reducing sugar (3.83-5.25%) increased as the amount of nuruk was increased, while viscosity (3.13-2.07 cP) and bitterness unit (19.68-13.13) were lower than in samples without nuruk. Overall acceptance and aftertaste of the beer were significantly higher in a preference test. These results demonstrate that nuruk can be used to produce a new type of ale.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.233-240
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• 2016

Purpose: Diabetic complications are a major concern to manage progression of diabetes. Production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) due to high blood glucose is one of the mechanisms leading to diabetic complications. Multiple pharmacologic AGE inhibitory agents are currently under development, but clinical applications are still limited due to safety issues. Thus, it is necessary to identify a safe anti-glycation agent. It is known that burdock roots have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities. The objective of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory role of burdock roots on the formation of high glucose-induced glycation of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Methods: In this study, glycation of BSA by glucose, galactose, or fructose at $37^{\circ}C$ for 3 weeks was assessed based on levels of ${\alpha}$-dicarbonyl compounds (early-stage glycation products), fructosamine (intermediate products of glycation), and fluorescent AGEs (late-stage glycation products). In order to compare the inhibitory actions of burdock root extract in AGE formation, aminoguanidine (AG), a pharmacological AGE inhibitor, was used as a positive control. Results: BSA glycation by glucose, fructose, and galatose was dose- and time-dependently produced. Burdock root extract at a concentration of 4 mg/mL almost completely inhibited glucose-induced BSA glycation. The results demonstrate that burdock root extract inhibited AGE formation with an $IC_{50}$ value of 1.534 mg/mL, and inhibitory activity was found to be more effective than the standard anti-glycation agent aminoguanidine. This study identified a novel function of burdock root as a potential anti-glycation agent. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that burdock root could be beneficial for preventing diabetic complications.